Electric switch.



I. E. HILLIARIL :ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUGL 21. 1908. l 945,535. Patented Jam 4, 19ML Tese.

UNITED OFEIQE.

FREDERICK ELI/IEB.. I-IIILIARD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GEM a PEARL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCI-I.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ELMER I-IILLiAnD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises an electric switch in which novel means are provided for closing and breaking the circuit and one in which the terminals are inclosed and protected.

My device is exceedingly simple and is very easy to mount, and I have devised means whereby the conductors may be very readily connected to the switch terminals.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one specific modification of my device which I have ychosen merely for purposes of illustration.

It is obvious that my invention is susceptible of a variety of forms.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of my switch, the sleeve being in section, F ig. 2 is a side view thereof. F ig. 3 is a section taken on line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the manner of attaching the conductors to the switch terminals.

Referring to the drawings in detail 1 is the wall, switch board panel or special baseplate provided for the switch. Mounted on this base are the switch blocks 2 and 3, which may be supported by any suitable device permitting them to slide longitudinally or axially toward or from each other while holding them from rotation. I have shown each block as provided with lugs 4 having a dove-tailed groove between them in which lits a dove-tailed block 5 secured to the base. The switch blocks are preferably composed of an outer shell 6 of metal or other suit-- able material which carries the lugs 4, and a filling 7 of insulating material. rlhe blocks may, however, be composed wholly of insulating material or wholly of metal or other substance, suitable means being provided for insulating the conductors passing through them and the switch terminals, which they carry. Upon the outside of one shell or of a block itself where no shell is used, is formed a left hand screw thread 8, while on the outside of the other shell or Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1908.

Patented I an. 4, i910.

semi n. 449,594,

block is formed a right hand screw thread 9. Rotativelymounted upon these threads is a sleeve or double nut 10 having an internal left hand thread throughout half its length and an internal right hand thread throughout the other half of its length. A handle 11 or other suitable means may be provided for turning this sleeve about its axis.

It will be seen that when the sleeve is rotated in one direction the blocks 2 and 3 will be drawn together and when the sleeve is rotated in the other direction the blocks will be separated. I preferably provide some means, such as springs 12 to retain the sleeve in its extreme positions, though it may be found unnecessary to use anything for this purpose. The sleeve 10 may be made of metal or insulating material as found desirable or necessary.. rIhe guide blocks 5 are cut away at 13 as shown in Fig; 3 to clear the threaded portions of the switch blocks.

The switch may be constructed to break one or more circuits as desired, in the form shown, two. Each block has a pair of openings 14 through it., through which the conductors 15 are led, the inner ends of the holes 14 being internally threaded as shown at 16 in Fig. 4. The terminal blocks 17 and 18 screw into these holes. Each of these terminals is provided with a circumferential groove 19 and with an opening 20 for the conductor leading from its rear end to this groove. The terminals are preferably provided with some means for insuring alinement and for increasing their contact` area, such as a knife 21 on one engaging with a slot 9.2 in the other.

To attach the conductor to the terminal the latter is unscrewed, the conductor is passed through the hole 14 and the insulation being removed from a portion of it, its end is threaded through opening Q0 and twisted about the small neck of the terminal formed by groove 19. The terminal is then screwed back into place. Of course, various changes may be made in this arrangement.

rlhe operation of the switch above described is apparent. Viith the parts as shown in Fig. 1 to close the circuit it is merely necessary to move the handle 11 to the position indicated in dotted lines when the blocks 2 and 3 will be drawn together and the terminals forced into contact as shown in Fig. 4. By means of the screw action the terminals can be forced togetherA under considerable pressure, thus resulting in a better electrical Contact than is obtainable in knife or other switches which merely rely upon spring pressure. By making the threads 8 and 9 of a considerable pitch any necessary degree of rapidity of separation of the terminals may be obtained. The pitch will be determined according to the current and voltage for which the switch is designed.

Many modifications in the structure specifically described by way of illustration may be made withoutI departing from the scope of my invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In an electric switch a pair of cylindrical blocks arranged in axial alinement one ot said blocks being provided with an external right hand thread and the other with an external left hand thread, means for preventing the rotation of said blocks, a sleeve surrounding said blocks having internal right and lett threads engaging the threads on the blocks, means for rotating said sleeve, and terminals on the adjacent faces of said blocks adapted to be brought in Contact when the sleeve is rotated in one @eases direction and separated when the sleeve is rotated in the other direction.

2. In an electric switch, a base, a pair of cylindrical switch blocks supported by said base in axial alinement and free to move longitudinally toward and from each other, but held from rotation, one of said blocks being provided with a right hand thread and the other with a left hand thread, a

sleeve having internal right and left threads ,f

engaging the threads on the switch blocks, a handle on said sleeve and means fixed to the base for engaging said handle and holding it in fixed position.

3. In an electric switch, a pair of switch FREDERICK ELMER HILLIARD.

`Witnesses MARY C. HYATT, EDWARD QUINCY MOSES. 

